Estimation folly likely cause for fuel shortage
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 05 2013: Lack of initiative by the Government of Manipur to chalk out the exact quantity of daily fuel requirement has been cited as one of the factors for the State frequently facing problem of petrol/diesel shortage.

Contrary to the Government seemingly accepting that daily fuel consumption estimation put up by the Indian oil Corporation (IOC) authorities is the closest possible quantity, sources said continuously relying on the IOC figure is not feasible and insisted that the exact requirement is more than the present figure.

Elaborating further an informed source pointed out that daily fuel requirement worked out by the IOC stands at 90 kilolitres petrol and 220 kl diesel.

Citing a recent case of consumers standing in long queues at fuel outlets to procure petrol/diesel due to a particular agitation that choked transportation on both the National Highways that connect the State, the source conveyed that IOC provided the requisite daily quota to the retail outlets.

A queue before a petrol outlet during a blocakde

With the IOC also dependent on inputs provided by the retail outlets based on their daily requirements, the supply was with conformity to the requirement, said the source while pointing out that in addition to IOC-specific outlets substantial quantity of transport fuel requirements of Manipur are also being met by non-IOC affiliates such as pumps dealing in petrol/diesel sale under other oil companies namely Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), which recently merged into Bharat Petroleum Company Limited (BPCL), and Essar petrol.

Considering the fact that public's requirement for petrol-diesel are also being met by these non-IOC pumps it would be wrong to continue depending on the IOC estimation, opined the sources and suggested that the fuel requirement estimate needs to be worked out afresh.

On the otherhand, a source confided that IOC recently restructured its fuel provision system to outlets by supplying on the basis of basic daily requirement under its contingency policy.

Apprehending fuel shortage crisis following imposition of public blockade on both the national highways last month, the Chingmeirong Dept of IOC limited fuel provision to bare minimum, the source maintained.

With reference to the IOC complying with the daily requirement formula, another source opined that panic buying as well as bulk storage by black marketers coupled with the Government's failure to work out the exact daily requirement might be the chief reason for the people ensuring severe inconveniences some times back.

Even though the IOC limited fuel provision to designated pumps, the fact that many NRL and BPCL pumps in Imphal area also sold petrol/diesel to the public last month only testifies that the daily requirement is more than estimation of the IOC or Government, the source pointed out.

Apart of retail outlets under IOC, in January last NRL pump at Mantripukhri sold 180 kl petrol and 400 kl diesel, while NRL Khurai also did similar brisk business in the same month with sale of 200 kl petrol and 136 kl diesel.

At Thoubal NRL station the sale of petrol is put at 120 kl and diesel at 96 kl while it was 80 and 40 kls respectively at NRL Singjamei last month.

Similarly, BPCL pumps at Ghari and Wangkhei sold 40 kl petrol/80 kl diesel and 120/144 kls respectively.

Essar pumps in the State reportedly ceased service during this period.

Naivety of the Government on the daily requirement will only aggravate fuel shortage problem in the future as there is strongly possibility of Central para-military forces deciding to make bulk purchases from retail outlets consequent to the Government's recent decision to withdraw fuel subsidy for security forces.

Taking into account huge presence of security forces and constant need to ensure its mobility central security force authorities preferring to refuel from public pumps cannot be ruled out, cautioned the sources while suggesting that State's daily requirement might be 150 kl petrol and 300 kl diesel.